Fishing Sump Lake in Lincoln County, Wisconsin

• Overview

  You will find Sump Lake in Lincoln County, Wisconsin. The surface lies 1,457 feet up. Small at around 13 acres: two anglers spread out cover most of it. The closest town, Tomahawk, is 5.6 miles away. Then Rhinelander, 15 miles, and Merrill, 21 miles. Others worth noting: Bass Lake out at 0.8 miles, Green Meadow Creek at 0.9 miles, Gerbick Lake out at 1.5 miles, Twin Lakes at 1.9 miles and Perch Lake out at 2.6 miles. A border sits close enough to be relevant to the paperwork.

• Where to Fish on Sump Lake

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Reported across Lincoln County: brown trout, rainbow trout and pumpkinseed. County data is a starting point rather than a guarantee. Sump Lake repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 67°F; the cold one sits at 10°F. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near mid April. The open-water window runs from around mid April to about late November in an average year. Spring is short and heavy here; autumn is longer and steadier. On Sump Lake that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. Nothing is listed nearby for parking or launching a boat. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Should this one be busy, Bass Lake is 0.8 miles off. Where Sump Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.